Permutation-lock.



1. BOHANON. PERIVIUTATION LOCK. APPucAUoN 11120 1211.24. 1911.

Patented Aug. 21, 11117. l

BOHANNON JOSHUA BOHANON,

OF 'EMILNENCE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-"'-IALFYTO PHILLIP B. FALLIS,' OF PLEASUREVILLE, KENTUCKY.

PERMUTATIoN-LQCK.

meneer.

specification of Letters raient. Fammi-,ed Aug 21, 1917,

Application led February 24, 1917. Serial N o. 150,772.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JosI-IUA BoHANNoN, a citizen of the United States, residingy at Eminence, in the county of Henry and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates t0 an improved permutation lock and has for its primary object to providea locking device particularly designed for locking the switch key of the ignition system of an automobile, though it will be understood, as fthe description proceeds, that the device may also be employed for various otherrpurposes.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a lock of the above type which is so constructed that the same cannot be opened by utilizing the sense of hearing or touch in the manipulation 'of the permutation locking disks, whereby the efforts of unauthorized persons unfamiliar with the combination to obtain access to the switch key will be obviated.

` tion Vto improve and simplify the construc-` I 'To the vouter end of each of the spindles, a suitable knob or head 12v is secured having a Y circular base flange 13. Each 'of the disks Itis another object of my invention to provide a permutation'locking device having a locking bolt yieldingly held in its retract- -,ed position, a shiftable tumbler plate, and a vseries oflocking disks, said tumbler plate having means to co-act with the disks in one position thereof and permit the locking bolt :to move to its normal position, and a spring acting to disengage the tumbler plate from the disks when the bolt is projected to its locking position to dispose said plate in' coacting relation to the locking bolt and prevent the retraction of the latter.

Itis a further general object of my invention of locking devices of the above character `whereby the 'same' is rendered positive and reliable in its operation, highly serviceable and convenient in practical use, and

y capable of manufactureat relatively small companying drawing, in which,

a front elevationof 'my im- Figure y 1 is proved lock;

. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the cover plate of the lock casing'open and illustrating the llocking mechanism on the innerface of said plate;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing thecl locking bolt in its projected'position; an

Fig. 4.- is a section taken on the linee-4 of Fig. 1. A

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the frame or body wall of the lock case which, in the illustrated application of the inventiomis secured in any suitable manner upon the front of the dashk of the vehicle body around the switch key.' It will, of course, be understood that in motor vehicles where the switch key for lthe ignition system is mounted upon the steering post, the form and manner of attachment of the lock .plate 6 is hinged, as shown at 7, and to the other end of the case body, within the same and at the corners thereof, the angle plates S are liXed, upon which the free end of the cover plate 6 is adapted to rest when said plate is inits closed position. The inner face of this latter end wall of the body 5 is provided with a krecess shown at 9 for the reception of the locking bolt to be presently referred to.

In the cover plate 6, the spaced spindles 10 are rotatably mounted Vand the permutation locking rdisks 11 are fiXed upon said yspindles* on the inner side of the plate 6.

llis provided with a single notch or recess 14: in its perimeter. Each ofthe flanges 13 'has a series of letters, numerals, or other )indicative characters stamped m its surface, "and ythe' outer edge of each of these flanges has spaced index marks thereon indicated at' 15, disposed in line with each of said'characters. An index kmark 16 is also provided upon the face of the plate G'adjacent to the edge of each ofthe flanges 13.

U pon the inner face of the'plate 6, adjaJ cent the' opposite ends thereof, guides 17 are fixed, and in these guides the endsv of a tumblernplate 18 are engaged. .foltlidng. movement. This tumbler plate has, s pa ced- 5 substantially semi-circular recesses 19- tlierein to receive the end locking disks 11.and the central portion of the plate between ,theserecesseshasits `end edge-curved, as atf 20, in concentric relation to .the other, or

central disk 11. This'curved edge of the plateand the. .edgeof each ofthe recesses 19 respective disks 11.

. ,gudesland has its other .end engagedbeneath a stud 23 fixed in the plate 18. y This -Springnormallyacts to .move ,the plate in one direction and out of locking engagement 20 `with the disks 11. Inone end of the .plate ,18, rectangularpotch or. recess 24: isprovided. '{Ihe vlocking bolt 25 is movable through transversechannel k26 vprovided U inthe 4guide 17.v .The outer .end ofthe notch 24;. is widened. orf downwardly or laterally extended,v as` at 211, to receive ,theend ofthe bolt 2 5 .when thelatter is in its locking pol. sition, whereby Ethe movement of the tumbler .j platelS .under the action of the. spring 22 3e ispositivelylimited. Aileaflspring"v 27 has one of. its'y ends engaged with the locking bolt andgnormally urges Ithe, same inwardly. to fritsreleased position. The bolt 25 carries a .pin28 which projects outwardly through a slot29in-thie cover plate 6, and upon .the i Cuiterendv of|,tliis pin a suitable linger .piece f 30 isfsecured', whereby the, locking bolt may l.be conyeniently. projected to its locking positiOn. They plate.18 is. also. provided with a .similar .pin 31y projectingmoutwardly i lithrough asloty32 inthe cover plate, and a finger piece 33 is secured onthe outer end ofthis pin 4whereby the, plate may be moved .against the action of .the springy 22 to dis- ...,451. pose` the notch24c inposition to receivekthe locking bolt ,25.

l i From the foregoing description, themannenof operationfof the-device .will be clearly .and, fullyunderstood. l. :The lianges 13 have M the numeralsgor-j other indicative. characters A- fon the facesthereof so related to,thenotches lliiny the disks'll .that a certainpneofsaid i characters ninst ,bel disposed. in `line with .the

index yniark. 1,6 on the face ofthe plate 6 in P0rderfto,.positionthe notch llfinlthe disk 11 l ,inline Y'with the lug 21 on Ethe1plate..18.:. AThe ,.A. ,combination nuriieral1 or, letter: of each ofthe disks, necessary...to properly,,position` the l i v ...in then is t. is .known,.onl tothe "'1 pthes "d Y ibe seen that in the openposition ofthe lockl pase, the, bolt 25 h oldsfthe tumbler. ,plate 18 l in its lowered., position upon ,the @inner Vvface of the plate 6 so that itisnot necessary. to ,maintain a downward pressure zupon the l. ,(SQ.. ownerfof tli'e,lock andas Ltheseverai1 disks {11,are disposed .entirely ,out of ,contacting rei/,lationwith the.,sl i;i ftabletumbler plate .18 ...iii/hen.. the. @oven-:Plate 6 1S .locked against I movement, the.,1 .covenplate l,could not be 1.1...6 5. oneneflibyf-'One aefafelwlz ulthi-,theeomblthe recess 2 4in theyend ofthe plate 18 .in `alinement with the ylocking` bolt 25 so;.that

the construction, i manner of operation, and ,severalA Aadvantages of thefdevice willbe (clearly, and fully understood. Whilethe nation merely by manipulating the several disks and utilizing the sense of touch or the sense `ofhearing to determine: .when the yseveral disks, were, disposed inthe proper positions. 7@

AAssuming that the case is open as shown in Fig. 2, and it is desired to lock the same,

the face plate G is swung into thebody. of I thecase overthe switch key, and the operator presses outwardly upon the finger piece 30 toward .tli e '..endy of` the..-lock. case,

thereby projecting the .endy of tlielocking bolt 25, intothe.. recess 9, inthe .end -Iwall of `the lock..,case. .ThetuinblenplatelS will thusbereleased` so that .the spring. 22 will so f ,act to. yforce ,the plate `upwardly and disengagedhe llugs. 21 .on said plate from l.the .notches in tlierespective. disks 11.k .These disks are now turned or rotated so that the notchestherein are .disposedputbf aline;

ment witlithelugs 21.y fThe endoftheplate lgthus eectively prevents inward..move nient oripretraction of the .locking bolt25, and the inner `end of thelocking boltzlikel wise holds the plate 118 vagainst. further. ,9e moifement away, .from the rotatable disks under the action ofthe spring 22.. When it is desired toopen the lock, it will of course be understood that, the several locking disks ,are again rotated and the notchesl disposed, f '95 Ain alinement,withthelugsf21 by bringing the proper combination; numerals or letters ontlie flanges 13 in radial alinement ,with

ythe index marks on the plate 6. The nger piece l33. is then engaged and a .downward pressure exerted thereon, Awherebythe plate 1S isv forced ,downwardly against the action of the spring 22` andthe lugs 2 1 moveinto the notches 14 inthe disks 11, thus disposing the spring 2 7 will then actto retracty the bolt Tand disengage .itsouter end from the. notchv or recess 9 in the end wall of the lock case.

The cover l plate 6 can rv then be, swungto its ,311@

dopen. position so that access may be had to theswitch key.

Eromthe foregoing; description, taken in connection with the accompanying, drawing,

Iview, asl it., positively, ,protects t .the opening ofthe locklby. unauthorized persons., It will nger piece 33. rflous, when, the, clevice..is ;.130

used as a switch key lock, the cover late of the case may be disposed in its c osed position but with the locking mechanism inoperative, as seen in Fig. 3, so that the cover late can be instantly swung open when it is cesired to manipulate the switch key. By thus housing or completely inclosing the switch key during the operation of the machine by the owner, the possibility of the accidental turning movement of the switch key is obviated. vWhile I have shown in the accompanying drawing three of the combination locking disks, it is manifest, of course, that a greater number of such disks may be employed if desired. Various other changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts may also be resorted to in order to adapt the invention to a particular use and it will, therefore, be understood that I reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a permutation lock, the combination with the part to be locked, of a shiftable tumbler plate mounted upon said part and provided in one of its ends with two recesses, permutation locking means with which said plate is adapted to coact, a sliding spring pressed bolt mounted upon said part, a spring yieldingly urging the tumbler plate to one position in which one end of the bolt is engaged in one of said recesses in the tumbler plate and held in its locking position, said plate being shiftable in a predetermined position of the permutation locking means into a position to permit .of the movement of said sliding bolt under the action of its spring into the other of' said recesses in the tumbler plate.

2. In a permutation lock, the combination with the part to be locked, of a plurality of disks rotatably mounted upon said part, a shiftable tumbler platev mounted upon said part, a spring urging said plate in one direction and out of contact with said disks, a sliding locking bolt, a spring urging the bolt to its normal position, said tumb er plate having a recess to receive the locking bolt in the normal position thereof, said disks and the tumbler plate having co-acting means to permit of the movement of the plate to the latter position, the outer end of the recess in the tumbler plate being widened and adapted to receive the inner end of the locking bolt when the same is moved to its locking position whereby the further movement of the tumbler plate under the action of its spring is prevented.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSHUA BOHANNON.

Witnesses:

M. C. LYDDANE, M. R. WILSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent-s.

Washington, D. C. 

